Italy – well known for the beauty of its land, architecture, and art; its splendor in design, fashion and cars; its delectable food and wine; and its influence on music, dance, film and literature – is often referred to as il bel paese, the beautiful country.

The phrase, although sometimes associated with the works of Dante and Petrarch, is from “Il Bel Paese: conversazioni sulle bellezze naturali, la geologia e la geografia fisica d’Italia” (“The Beautiful Country: conversations on natural beauty, geology and physical geography of Italy”), written in 1876 by Antonio Stoppani. Stoppani studied and wrote about the people and culture of Italy and how it relates to the natural beauty of the land.